Aquaponics - No holes siphon

It also allows you to make the fluid level in two containers the same height in each, without having to drill holes in them to join them with a hose.

In it's simplest form, it's a hose full of water with both ends kept submerged, one end in each container.

As the level increases in one container, water siphons into the other. As long as the tube remains full of water, the two levels stay the same.

This can be a very handy solution to adding an extra fish tank or grow bed without having to empty your originals.

I used one to share the water between my duckweed tank, and my fish tank. As the level in the fish tank changes due to where it is in it's cycle of pumping water to the grow bed, the water flows in and out of the duckweed tank maintaining the two containers at the same depth.

My duckweed seems to love the fish tank water. In the past I have kept it separate from the rest of the system, but now it's moved into the glasshouse.

There are a few ways you can implement it, but the simplest is to submerge a tube in water, then block both ends with your thumbs.

Take one end and submerge it into one tank, and the other end in the other tank.

When you remove your thumbs, the tube remains full of water, and a siphon starts to equalise the two containers until their surfaces are at the same height. If one container is at a different height, the water will try to settle so that the surfaces are the same height, so if there is too much difference, one container might overflow.

Make sure there are no air bubbles in the pipe, as they will break the siphon, and the exchange of water between the two containers will no longer occur.

Another way to make one would be to submerge the ends of the pipe, one end in each container, then connect your pump until water is flowing freely. Disconnect the pump, making sure you dont lift either end out of the water, and the tube should remain full of water.